Lives of Sacrifice
by First Star of Night
Summary: Hermione gives her life fighting against Voldemort. After he is defeated, Ron misses Hermione, and will give up anything to have her come back, including his freedom. RHr, implied HG. Collaberation with lilJunebug. COMPLETE!
1. The First Sacrifice

Author's Note: This story is being written by my friend and I, but since I'm the one that has a Fanfiction account, I get to put it up on my account.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling came up with the characters and the original plot of Harry Potter. My friend came up with this story line. I am basically filling it in a little bit. But I do not claim ownership of the plot, either this fanfic or the original plot.

Author's Note 2: I'm writing this, pretending and assuming that the person that died in HBP didn't, and is still alive. Italicized text is a flashback at the end of the trio's seventh year, and normal text is after Hogwarts. Ron/Hermione, possibly Harry/Ginny. (Because I love those two ships.) Spoiler Warning.

Lives of Sacrifice

_ "Ron, Hermione, can you two stop kissing for a second? Ginny, can you join us too?"_

The three obeyed Harry and quickly paid attention to him. Something in his voice told them to listen to what he would say.

"Dumbledore believes he has found the last Horcrux. But, for safety, he wants all of us to go get it. Remember how hard it was for the two of us to get the locket?" Harry asked the other three. "Well, we think it will be even harder for us to get the last Horcrux, now that Voldemort-quiet, Ron- knows we have found out about the Horcruxes. Are you guys willing to go?"

"Of course, Harry," Ginny responded. "Do you really think we would let you go on your own after the locket episode?"

"Yeah," the others agreed. "It would be stupid to let you two go alone together."

"You guys don't seem to take this seriously enough. You can die doing this. Are you sure you are willing to come?" Harry questioned their eagerness.

"You think we don't know it's dangerous? And you think the DA was nothing? We were preparing ourselves to fight V-Voldemort," Ginny stuttered, "not just having fun risking our necks with Umbridge on our backs. We know the danger. We are willing to make the sacrifice. We're ready."

The three of them trooped out of the Gryffoder Common Room after Harry towards Dumbledore's study, completely silent, but with determination on their faces. After about 10 minutes of walking through the corridors, they arrived to Dumbledore's study, where he was waiting for them outside. With an equally determined face, yet the usual, bright twinkle in his eyes, he motioned for all four of them to follow him.

They made it out into the courtyard, with a nearly full moon up in the sky. Hermione shivered slightly. Ron instinctively put his arm around her, not knowing if she was shivering from the cold or the duty that lay ahead. They continued to walk towards Hogsmeade; the only sounds were the soft footsteps of the five adventurers.

The silence was broken by Dumbledore. "I'm touched the three of you are willing to help Harry and myself find the last Horcrux."

"Where are we going this time, sir?" Harry asked the professor. "And what are we looking for?"

"We are going to woodlands of southern Ireland. There is a summer lodge there, rather nice place, that belonged to the Peters' Family. As the Daily Prophet noted last week, Mr. Peters was convicted of being a Death Eater. And for reasons that would take too long for me to explain now, I believe Voldemort told him to take the last Horcrux there. Ah, here we are," Dumbledore stopped suddenly, making Harry run into him, and Ginny into Harry. "Good. Now, Ginny, you have your Apparation license now, I believe? But, just as a safety measure, we should do joint Apparation. Ginny, grab onto Harry…good. Now Ron and Hermione…and Harry shall grab onto me. Ready? Let's go."

They Disapparated from Hogsmeade and landed in front of a large cottage in a clearing, but they could still see forest farther along in every direction. Dumbledore smiled in a knowing way to the four teenagers, and walked up to the house, and went inside. Harry and the others followed him without question.

"Fancy meeting you here, Tom," Dumbledore said with a sad smile.

"I could say the same of you, Albus. And you brought your sidekicks with you, including a Mudblood. How are you supposed to defeat me with a Mudblood helping you? She'll put you at a disadvantage, I believe. Why don't I make it a little fairer for your side, and finish her off?" Voldemort taunted.

"Is there any real need of that, Tom?" Dumbledore said, thinking quickly.

"Oh, I think it is. I would kill all of you, but I know you and 'The Chosen Boy' want to have a real fight with me, so I'll fight you. Avada Kedavra!_" Voldemort yelled, pointing his wand at Hermione._

Hermione, who had been frozen in the doorway, suddenly had a look of terror on her face, while the green light shined around her. Then the light was gone, and Hermione crumpled to the ground, dead.

Horrified at what Voldemort had done, Ron turned from Hermione's lifeless body to face Voldemort. "You killed her! You killed her for no reason! You killed her, like you killed all those other innocent people!

"Ron, don't do anything stupid!" Harry yelled. He looked around the room, looking for what might be the Horcrux. I need to find that Horcrux. _ he thought. _ It's not for me anymore. Voldemort took Ron's whole life away. It's for Ron now. _ There it was, on the shelf behind Voldemort. Helga Hufflepuff's brooch. " /I Accio Brooch! I "_

Perhaps it was the urgency in his voice. Perhaps the brooch was somehow waiting to be called off the shelf. But the brooch flew right into Harry's hand without lazily drifting in the air. Without thinking of any magical way to destroy it, Harry threw the brooch onto the ground and smashed it with his foot.

"You are not immortal, Voldemort! If anyone deserves to die, you do! You killed too many innocent people! NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO DIE! AVADA KEDAVRA! _ " Harry shouted at Voldemort._

But instead of killing him, Harry's curse missed Voldemort and hit the shelf the brooch came from. All the little statues on the shelf tumbled onto the floor, half of them breaking.

"You think you can kill me, Harry? You've tried to for the past three years, and you have yet to do so. There is no way for someone as weak as you to kill me!" Voldemort yelled at Harry. "There is no way for one person to kill me!"

"He's not doing it alone! I'm helping him!" Ginny cried, pointing her wand at Voldemort, looking as menacing as Harry did.

"And don't think I'm going to say, 'Oh, you killed my girlfriend, boohoo.' YOU WILL BE KILLED TONIGHT!" Ron bellowed.

"I believe the four of us are all in agreement, Tom," Dumbledore said as politely as if they were having afternoon tea. He raised his wand, so that all four wands made a semi-circle around Voldemort, with the ownwer behind it, waiting for the time to pounce.

"Now!" Harry yelled.

" AVADA KADAVRA_ " The four voices echoed off the walls, so that one could hear additional, "Avada Kadavra! Avada Kadavra! Avada Kadavra!" The blinding green light hid Voldemort for a few moments. Then, as the light started to fade away, all four could see Voldemort with a look that matched Hermione's, and he gracefully slumped to the floor, defeated and dead._


	2. Never Forgotten

Author's Note: Okay, I don't know what happened with the last chapter, sorry about the underlining on the whole page. I hope that doesn't happen with this chapter…or any other chapter, for that matter. I'll triple- and quadruple-check the edit page this time.

Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada. Blah, blah, blah. Don't own HP or the characters. And the story idea came from my friend, because although I can continue with stories, I can't come up with ideas very well.

You know what? Forget the whole italicized/not italicized parts from before. Italicized are know the private thoughts of the person. Forget that whole flashback/present thing. Sorry for the confusion.

Okay, I think I've gotten all the major bases covered. Are there any outfielders I've forgotten? Oh, wait. There's one. The second chapter. Yeah, kinda need that.

Lives of Sacrifice Chapter 2: Never Forgotten

Ron hated life.

No, he didn't hate life. He just hated his life.

At night, all his dreams turned into the nightmare of Hermione dying. The look of terror on her face always woke him up, before he could see her crumple to the ground. He didn't want to believe that his girlfriend was really dead.

The fact seemed to be laughing in his face, though. After two years, he seemed to be the only one that couldn't get over her death. Sure, Ginny and Harry were still sad that she was gone, but they had moved on. Harry seemed to get over her death quickly. _Makes sense to some extent_, Ron thought bitterly. _He lost his parents, he saw Cedric die, and he saw Sirius die. I guess you get used to it after a while._

But he still wasn't convinced. Harry hadn't lost his true love. He and Ginny were living together, married, completely happy and blissful. The same life he wanted with Hermione. Instead, he had moved in with them, so that he wouldn't have to live alone. Living alone would just remind him of what he didn't have.

_I would rather have Voldemort still alive._ He did admit to himself, though, that helping to kill Hermione's killer did have its benefits. _It's not the same, though. All I ever wanted was some of Harry's glory. Now, I have it, but without what I had since beginning Hogwarts. _He didn't want the glory anymore. He would still rather be the poor sidekick with Hermione than to be the hero without her.

_I should get a job_, he thought. _I can't stay with Harry and Ginny forever. Besides, I have to make some money. And it could help me stop thinking of Hermione all the time._ But did he really want to take his mind off Hermione? For the time being, it would feel good. But, when he started thinking about her again, he felt guilty, like he was betraying her for not thinking about her. _I'll go talk to Fred and George. Maybe I can get a job at their joke shop._

But instead of moving, he stayed huddled on the couch. A tear of loneliness and abandonment escaped his eye and fell down his cheek. He didn't bother to wipe it away. He knew more would come, as they always did. Why couldn't he get on with his life?

_It's my fault she's dead,_ he thought. _He said he was going to kill her. He said it long before he did. I was her boyfriend. I was supposed to protect her. That's was a true boyfriend does, not stay rooted to the spot, watching her die, helplessly._ Another tear slid down his cheek, this time from anger at himself.

The front door opened, and then quietly closed shut. Ginny walked in, and automatically looked over to Ron on the couch. "Ron, you aren't moping on the couch again, are you?" She asked, well aware what the answer was.

"You expect me to be doing something else? Like what?" Ron shot back. "What am I supposed to do when the woman I love is dead?"

"How about _'Get on with your life'_? Moping isn't going to bring her back, you know," she pointed out. "Besides, she wouldn't want you moping around all the time. She would want you to get on with your life."

"How would you know? You don't understand what it's like to lose the person you love!" Ron yelled, now as angry at Ginny as he was at himself.

"Ron, I was there, remember? You weren't the only person to lose Hermione! You aren't the only person who misses her! And, guess what, Ron? I have to worry about Harry being killed everyday, because of the Death Eaters that still want him dead! That isn't exactly a picnic!" Ginny shouted back over the crack that filled the room.

"Are you two bickering again?" Harry asked in mock sternness. He had just Apparated home from the Ministry, where he was working as an Auror. Then he went over to his wife, kissed her, and turned to Ron. "Did you hold together well enough today?"

Harry had tried to be as understanding as he could with Ron. After all, Hermione was Ron's girlfriend when she died, and she was the first death he had ever experienced. Harry remembered how he felt when Cedric had died, and the nightmares he had for the next year, and multiplied that feeling by about ten. He could only imagine how horrible he would feel if Ginny had died that night, or any other time, for that matter. So he showed more sympathy for Ron than Ginny did. The constant sulking did get annoying, but that was just Ron's way of dealing with the death. Ron had supported Harry after Cedric died, and again when Sirius did so. So Harry would support Ron as long as he needed his support. This is what best friends do.

"Yeah. Haven't eaten since breakfast. I wasn't very hungry," Ron rushed in when Harry gave him a Look. "I'll help with supper, though. Considering I'm not really helping out with expenses or anything," he added, suddenly quite ashamed.

"Don't worry about it. You'll stay here as long as you need, no charge. Don't rush it," Harry told him. "Although, I wouldn't go missing any more meals if I were you. You are looking too pale and too thin."

"How am I supposed to eat? My girlfriend is dead! Do you really think I'm going to think, 'Oh, I guess I'd better eat rather than remember Hermione'? "

"You know, Ron, most people can do one thing and think about another thing. Especially during a task as simple as eating lunch," Ginny retorted. She, unlike Harry, did not have endless patience for his sulking. Part of the reason she was happy about graduating from Hogwarts was so that she wouldn't have to live with any of her brothers anymore. And here was Ron, still living with her! Every night for the past year, she kept trying to convince her husband to make Ron leave, but with no avail.

The rest of the preparation of supper was completed in silence, with each person thinking his or her own thoughts. After about fifteen minutes of preparing supper, they sat down at the table. Harry was the first to speak.

"Ron, I was reading some of Hermione's old books last night-" he started, but was cut off by Ron.

"You went through her books? You didn't let them stay in the spare bedroom like I said?" Ron was shouting again. "Do you even care about her memory anymore? Or are they just 'stuff' now?"

"Will you let me finish?" Harry asked, much quieter than Ron had been, and much more gentle. Harry was trying to be understanding, but the sudden outbursts were the worst part of letting Ron live with him and Ginny. "As I said, I was reading some of Hermione's old books last night-" Ron coughed, but said nothing-"and one of them said something that might be helpful. In fact, Hermione underlined it, like she wanted one of us to find it." Both Ginny and Ron were now intrigued. "It gave a spell that can be performed to bring back someone's true love that has died. It does have some consequences-" Harry was once again cut off, but this time Ron was eager, rather than angry.

"You mean it? There is really away to bring her back to life?" he asked. "But I remember Dumbledore saying that there was no way to bring someone back to life! How can we bring her back to life?"

"Well, it's rather complicated, and it does have some consequences that you have to think about-" Harry, once again, was cut off by Ron.

"I don't care about the consequences! I don't care how much work it is! I don't care about any of that! I just want Hermione back!" Ron shouted back, with a mixture of anger and joyfulness. _I'll get to see Hermione again,_ he thought. _I'll get to see her in flesh again. I don't have to go around feeling sorry for myself anymore!_

"So, when do we start?"

Okay, how was that for a quick update? I probably won't be updating that fast all the time, because I've already had a week of school, and I'm taking an advanced math class, and an advance science class. So I don't think I'll have a lot of time to update that fast again.

But, if you like what you are reading, please review! And, if you don't like what you are reading, review and tell me how to improve it! I really don't mind flamers, as long as you tell me how to improve it.


	3. Revival

Author's Note: Okay, I realized that I didn't comment back to the review I got for chapter one. So I'll include it in my responses for chapter two.

RonMione4eva: Thanks for your two reviews! You really didn't know it wasn't part of the story? Hmm, maybe next time I'll just keep my fingers off the keyboard when I think something like that.

Kd7sov: Thanks for all the criticism/comments. Yeah, I tried to make it ominous, because it's a big part of the story…but I won't say anymore here. I came up with the brooch on my own, because I knew that he found the Slytherin item, the Gryffindor item I know of, and I remembered them talking about him wanting to find Ravenclaw's item, but I couldn't remember anything from Hufflepuff. But, of course, when I posted it up, I suddenly remembered the memory about Hufflepuff's thing…oh, well. Yeah, I was having a hard time figuring out how not to have him there, and Harry finding the last Horcrux on his own…I hope Rowling has better luck with that than I did. And I did say how much time passed in the second chapter, but I kind of snuck it in, so I'll put it in again this chapter. Thanks again for the long review!

La Chica Perfecta: Thanks for being such a constant reviewer to my fics! I'm sorry I haven't commented on Time Revolution. I feel really bad now about that.

Disclaimer: Can't think of anything real creative for the disclaimer this time. So…I don't own the characters or the original plot. And the plot for this fanfic was made up by my friend.

Lives of Sacrifice, Chapter 3:

"Well, it is very complicated," Harry said. "We –well, actually, you, but Ginny and I will help-" Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry, and he responded with a small nod, "we need to get part of the person that killed her."

"You mean I have to go back to You-Know-Who's grave and get a finger or something?" Ron asked, looking like he was going to be sick. "Or is this like the polyjuice potion, where I have to get a hair from the person?"

"No, you can get any part of the person, including the blood of the person. And, no, that means you don't have to go to Voldemort's-grow up, Ron-grave. He took my blood, remember? When he came back fourth year? So you can draw some blood from me."

"Okay," Ron replied, not totally comforted. Suddenly, he would rather go to Voldemort's grave than take blood from his best mate.

"Then you have to go to the exact place that she died. That might be hard, because I don't know if the Roberts' cottage is there after two years." Ron suddenly felt cold, remembering, once again, that it had indeed been two years since Hermione died. Harry continued, "Eric died in Azkaban last week, that I know, but I don't know what his family did with his stuff after he died, or even after he was sent to Askaban. We're going to surely have trouble doing this if the cottage isn't there anymore.

"Then there is an extremely complicated incantation that you have to say when you get there," Harry blundered on. "I can't even pronounce it. The bad thing is, you can only say this incantation once in your life. If you say it before you get everything else ready, you will be instantly cursed. But the book didn't go into any details on it…so stay on the safe side and don't say it."

Ron had been getting more excited every time Harry said something new. Blood he could get, even if he didn't want to hurt Harry. _He did offer himself, though. I didn't ask him to,_ he thought. Then there was going to the exact location of where she died. _Like I could forget. It was right at the doorway. She was frozen there when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was talking about killing her._ But the incantation suddenly worried him. _I've never been good at incantations. That was always her._ Almost instantly, he was depressed again.

"And, as I tried to tell you before, there are consequences to this. Obviously, as I said, you are cursed if you say the incantation wrong. And if you say it right, but she's not your true love, then you will instantly die. It's a really serious curse," Harry reminded Ron.

"But, if everything goes correctly, and Hermione is my true love, everything will be as good as it was before she died, right?" Ron asked hopefully. If there was any chance it would all go right, Ron knew he would do it.

"Well…" Harry stalled for thinking time. It was true, there was something that would happen if he got it all right, but would it really be much different as before she died? After a moment of thinking, he said, "Yes."

"Then I'll do it. I know Hermione is my true love. I don't have to worry about that. And I'm willing to take the chance that I get the incantation wrong, or get the place wrong, in order to get Hermione back," Ron declared decisively.

"He's crazy," Ginny mumbled to Harry. Although he didn't say it, or show any other indication, Harry personally agreed.

---

"Okay, I've got the book and my wand," Ron pointed out ten minutes later. "Could we go now?" he asked, acting almost like an impatient nine-year-old

Harry and Ginny looked at each other like Ron was too excited. Ginny sighed, and Harry said, "I guess so, if you are really ready to do this."

"I am. Why wouldn't I be? So can we go?"

The three of them met in the middle of the kitchen, then Apparated to the forest in southern Ireland, just as they had two years previously.

"Look! There's the clearing! Up ahead!" Ron shouted, more excited than he had been in years. Running ahead of the other two, he ran into the clearing, and stopped in front of the cottage. Harry and Ginny finally caught up, and stopped behind Ron, staring at the cottage. The little building looked as though it hadn't been inhabited in several years. Ron walked up to the front door, and opened it. Dust flew around him as he entered the building. Ginny and Harry followed Ron into the cottage.

"Let's see…the door was open…and she was frozen in the doorway…like…this," Ron muttered, moving around the small area, finally stopping in the doorway, facing inwards.

He checked the book, "Exact spot…check. Part of the killer. Okay, Harry, I need your blood." Any other time, Ron would have found that statement funny, but this time, he was completely serious. Harry took out a sharp rock from his pocket, grasped it in his hand, and slit his wrist. The blood trickled out of the wound, slowly flowing around his arm, like a river at the source. Ron suddenly realized he brought nothing to collect the blood in, and ended up conjouring a small bowl out of midair. He brought the dish underneath Harry's arm, and collected a small puddle of blood. Harry pointed his wand at his wrist, and suddenly the wound disappeared, as did the blood still on his arm.

Ron walked back over to the doorway, and stood facing Harry and Ginny. He held the book, open, in one hand, and the bowl of blood in the other. Reading from the book, Ron started to chant:

_Hermione Granger had once died here,_

_But now I shall bring her back._

_As she once gave her own life,_

_So I shall do._

_She shall lead me as she pleases,_

_Because I shall agree, as she wishes._

_And now I say, with all my might,_

Nruter Rehrof Modeerfym Evigi.

The wind picked up, and rushed around where Ron stood. The speed picked up, and went faster and faster, blowing his hair up, and blew the book from his hands, where it sped towards Ginny and Harry. Harry and Ginny both ducked, causing the book to fly over there heads and into the old grandfather clock standing behind them. When they looked up at Ron, he was completely rigid, then started shaking violently. Ron dropped the bowl of Harry's blood, and it fell straight down, crashed, and broke into hundreds of pieces, with the blood spattering the floor. Once again, Ron went rigid, then gasped, as though he suddenly turned cold. And, indeed, he had turned cold, as a silver shape traveled from the ground up through him. The wind finally stopped blowing, and, in front of Ron, seen for the first time in two years, stood Hermione Granger.

"Ron, you did it! You actually performed the incantation!" were Hermione's first words. She ran toward him, and gave him an emotional hug. After about half a minute, she pulled away to go greet Harry and Ginny.

Afterwards, she turned back to Ron. "So you actually read the book with the incantation in it?" she asked him.

"Well, no. Harry found it," Ron stammered.

"Oh. Then did you at least read the entire section on the incantation?"

"Umm…no," Ron admitted.

"Then go get the book from the ground over there, and read the _entire_ section on the incantation," Hermione instructed.

Without questioning her, Ron walked over to where the book lay, and sat down to read the entire section. Meanwhile, Hermione walked over to Harry and Ginny again, and asked, "You didn't tell him all the consequences, did you?"

"No. I was worried that, if I told him, he wouldn't want to do it. And I don't think Ginny can live with another day of her brother moping on the couch all day. So…I just kind of ignored that part," Harry answered truthfully.

"I thought so," Hermione said, grinning, before the three of them heard Ron shout:

"I AGREED TO DO _WHAT_?"

Yay! Another short update! So, what do you think Ron agreed to do? I hinted at it this chapter…just a little hint there.

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, since Hermione came back. But I would really enjoy reviews! So please review, telling me what you think. And for those of you that aren't logged in, or don't have an account, my anonymous reviews are open. (**cough**, April, **cough**)So please review!


	4. Ron's Sacrifice

I'm back and ready to roll! Okay, that was a bit cheesy. But, as any of my friends can say, I'm a cheesy person.

Kd7sov: Was the line really used in the books already? I don't remember that. What book was it in? Hypothetically speaking, the exact incantation would not work for her, but all the female references would be changed to male references. And you hit the answer dead-on.

Sailinmad: Haha. Well, here's the chapter with your answer. And don't worry about the impatience. As I always say, impatience is a virtue.

Disclaimer: Isn't it obvious after three chapters? I don't own the HP characters or original plot. Although, if J.K. Rowling ever wants a break…

Okay, now is the time for everyone (except kd7so here) to find out the answer to the question…what _did_ Ron agree to do?

Lives of Sacrifice, Chapter Four: Ron's Sacrifice 

"Harry, I thought you said everything would be the same as before she died if everything went correctly! Why didn't you tell me?" Ron whined.

"Well, I didn't think it would be all that different…" Harry died off at Ron's face. Boy, it was a good think looks didn't kill, because Ron's look clearly showed that he wanted to kill Harry right now, more than Voldemort ever had. And that was saying something.

"Well, Ron, I've always told you to read _everything_ before you act on something," Hermione told Ron, knowing that Harry wasn't going to be talking for a while. "It's not Harry's fault you didn't read it.

"But…but…but, he said that things would be exactly the same as before you died! And they're not going to be! Things will be a lot different!" Ron complained loudly.

"Ron, did you really think that things would be the exact same as before? People aren't supposed to be able to come back from the dead. Remember what Dumbledore said about Cedric? There isn't a way to bring people back from the dead. Well, he must have missed this incantation, but I guess this is more of switching souls…kind of," Hermione died off, suddenly thinking about it.

"But," Ron started again, trying to think of how to voice his anger and frustration. "But I'm really expected to…follow whatever order you give me?"

"I told you it was a really serious curse," Harry piped up, but fell silent once again at Ron's glare.

"Am I really supposed to do _whatever_ you tell me to do?" Ron asked Hermione, somewhat hopefully.

Hermione sighed. Was Ron really this thick-headed? "Ron, go get the book, bring it back to me, and read the section you just read out loud. Then we'll decide if you are really supposed to do _whatever_ I tell you to do."

Ron opened his mouth to object, but found he could not make a sound. Instead, his legs started to move, on their own, it seemed, and he walked over to where the book was. Picking it up off the floor where he had thrown it in disgust at finding out the truth, he turned back to Hermione. As soon as he stopped in front of her, he realized that he, in fact, was supposed to do _whatever_ Hermione told him to do, but he had no choice but to continue with the task she gave her.

" 'Upon completion of this incantation, the speaker shall be forever faithful towards the one he has raised, obeying every command issued from the one who has been raised, till one or the other shall die again.'" Ron recited, a deep weight settling in his stomach.

"Okay, Ron, do you think you are supposed to do _whatever_ I tell you to do?" Hermione inquired.

"I still agreed that I agreed to do whatever you tell me to do," Ron responded, shaking his head slightly. "But you won't be taking advantage of me and…this, will you?" Ron tried again, trying to get out of the predicament at hand. Instantly, though, Ron knew what the answer was, even before Ginny pointed it out him.

"Ron, she hasn't been alive for more than thirty minutes, and she's already given you two orders. Are you really thinking that she is never going to give you any orders again?"

Ron finally admitted to himself, and the other three in the room, "Okay, fine. I have to follow any order you give me."

There was no way around it. Ron was going to have to live with taking orders from Hermione for the rest of his life. Or her life, if she should die again before he did. _I guess this is what they call 'the price of love,'_ he thought.

Ron swore loudly as he made another realization. "I'm going to have to follow orders like a house-elf!"

"Well, maybe now you'll get more involved with S.P.E.W.!" Hermione replied, quite happy with her plan.

"You aren't obsessed with _spew_ again, are you? You've been back for, what? Half an hour?"

"Don't call it _spew!_ It's S.P.E.W. Call it S.P.E.W.!"

---

Okay, so that was a really short chapter. I'm sorry. All I wanted to accomplish by this chapter were getting the consequence out. I can't say I'm really pleased with this chapter, because it's so short. I couldn't think of anything else to say in this chapter without repetition. And I didn't want to run out of ideas for what Hermione will make Ron do.

Speaking of which, does anybody reading this have anything they would like to see Hermione make Ron do? The more ideas I get, the faster I'll be updating. So please review!


	5. Dancing King

Okay everyone, sorry for the delay. I've been really busy lately with projects and mounds of homework and divine-ruler-of-whatever-religion-you-are-part-of knows what. But now comes the update. Yay! I also have a Marauder's one chapter story coming up. But I felt I should update this first.

Oh, and by the way, I've never actually gone to a karaoke bar. I've only done it with friends on the computer and such, and from the local amusement park karaoke stage. So it might not be exactly right, but I'm just going to say that's the kind of place it is in this story.

Savvysuperstar95: Well, I'm glad she's back, but I'd rather not have anyone else die. It's too sad. . Oh, and he _will_. I'll make sure of that.

Kd7sov: I forgot about the inscription on Erised. He's bound by the words, not by the meaning. This comes into play later, so I wasn't going to say, but I guess it can't hurt too much that you know. Considering that you've figured out a bunch of the things for the story already…

SilverNsirius4ever: I'm just worried that if I go any slower, it will get boring, and then I won't bother to finish it. It has been known to happen.

Disclaimer: If I were the owner of these characters, they probably would not exist. I also do not own any of the lyrics to the song in this chapter, no matter what song or who they come from.

And now the moment you have all been waiting for, the fifth chapter.

Lives of Sacrifice Ch. 5: Dancing King 

A week had passed, and Ron was thankful that he didn't get any major orders from Hermione. Sure he got the basic ones ("Put these dishes away" and the such), but nothing he hated doing.

But that Friday night Ron heard a command so horrible that he couldn't think of any command that would be worse than it.

"Ron, come with me to do karaoke. You don't have to actually sing, but you're coming."

Ron stared in shock. _Karaoke?_ _Is that some Muggle thing?_ But, bound by the spell, he could not protest, and given the attitude he was thinking it, his mouth wouldn't open to let him speak. Grudgingly, he got up out his seat and followed Hermione out the door.

---

Arriving at the karaoke bar (filled with Muggles, Ron noticed), Hermione guided him over to an empty table for two, where they sat. Shouting over the noise that filled the room so that they could hear each other, they started talking. Hermione tried to explain the idea of Karaoke to her pure-blood boyfriend.

"People go up on the stage and sing a song. They don't have to be good; they don't have to know the words. They just read the words off the screen and have fun."

"How is being the center of attention for being horrible, and people cheering you on, fun?" asked a very confused Ron.

"Well-" Hermione began, but was cut off by an announcement.

"Attention all karaoke singers! If you want to be a part of tonight's show, please come up to the booth next to the stage to sign up! We will randomly choose ten people to sing their hearts out for tonight's show!"

"I'll be right back, Honey," Hermione said quickly as she joined the throng that quickly grew around the booth. Ron waved her on half-heartedly, though it was kind of useless, as she had already left. About ten minutes later, Hermione returned, extremely excited.

"Oh, gosh, I hope they pick me. I've never done it before," Hermione rambled in the same way she usually did at school when she was excited or nervous about something.

"And we have all the names of people that want their fifteen minutes of fame have entered for their chance to be a star! And now we have the names of people that will get that tonight. Our performers, in order of appearance are as follows: Mary Anne Windill, Chris Brown, Nick Sibi, Lisa Ash, Carrie Chung, Sarah Grove, Eric Casten, Marc Richards, Zach Bellows, and Hermione Granger! Let's give these ten a hand while Mary Anne takes her place for her performance!"

_How somebody would ever want to do that, I have no idea_ Ron thought as Mary Anne sang, slightly off-pitch.

The next singers weren't very interesting. Sure, some of them were good, and some of them were completely horrible.

And then in was Hermione's turn. She went up on the stage and announced her song, but Ron wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was in his own world, daydreaming about unmentionables. Hermione's voice filled the room, singing a very fast-paced, energetic song, as Ron continued to stare off into space.

Suddenly, Ron had an urge to stand up. Not knowing why, he gave in to the temptation.

And then he heard it. The words to the song Hermione was singing.

"Throw your hands in the air 

_Like you just don't care."_

_Hermione!_ His mind raged. She picked a song that had orders in it!

But he had no choice but to continue. Before he knew it, he was doing a side step, along with "throwing" his hand in the air. From the stage, Hermione could not see who was dancing like a maniac. All she could see was a shadowy figure in the audience, so she continued her song.

The moon-walk continued his dance (though his hands were now back down at his sides, thank goodness) and he started moving towards the front of the room, closer and closer to the stage. More and more people started to notice this odd character dancing and moving towards the front of the room. Ron stopped in his place, freezing for a moment, and then beginning the robot. His sequence ended with a spin and fell into a split (oh, the pain it caused him).

Hermione looked down to the redhead right in front of the stage. Hermione quickly realized what she had been singing, and started apologizing to Ron. She could hardly be heard, though, as nearly everyone stood up and applauded the dancer.

Ron stood up, grimacing from the pain of the split, and hobbled back to his seat. "Fans" did not let him sit down. "Encore! Encore!" they shouted at him, hoping for more of his spectacular moves. Hermione rushed off the stage toward Ron, guiding him outside of the little bar.

A shadowy figure's eyes followed them out the door. This figure was one of the few that were not clapping for Ron's moves. As Hermione and Ron exited the bar, the figure followed them, but instead of turning right as they had, he turned left, the ends of strands of silvery-blonde hair catching the moonlight before returning to the body they came from.''

---

Again, I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've been so busy, so I don't know when I'll have the chance to update again. I'm hoping it will be a shorter time period than this, though.

Please keep reviews coming!


	6. The Death Eaters

Yay! I'm back! Sorry it took so long to update. I blame my Chem teacher for the insane amount of homework she gives. I also blame my sudden lack of internet on my computer. And now, I am updating, under the (impatient) nagging of my fanfiction-obsessed friend (who is now being referred to as FFF).

Thanks for your reviews!

Kd7sov: (marking another tally mark on paper) Unless I am mistaken, you have yet to guess anything wrong. Yes, it was a Malfoy, and you'll get your answer soon enough.

Siriusndharryluvrr: Thanks for loving it. Hmm, yeah, probably should make it more lovey-dovey. Well, it won't be in this chapter, but it will probably be in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: If this were MY idea, then I wouldn't be putting it up on **Fanfiction** . net, I would be publishing it and making the amount of money that J.K. Rowling, who owns these characters, is making.

Lives of Sacrifice Chapter 6:

"I'm telling you, idiots. I saw her there at the Karaoke bar. She was up there, singing like a common Muggle!" Lucius Malfoy hissed at the other two Death Eaters in the cold, dark room, Bellatrix LeStrange and Peter Pettigrew.

"But she was killed! She was killed by the Dark Lord two years ago!" Bellatrix argued back.

"Do you think I don't know that? But Hermione Granger the Mudblood is alive. And," Malfoy lowered his voice, "she has control of a certain, ah, _weasel_."

"You mean Ron Weasley is under total control of Hermione Granger?" Wormtail asked.

"No, Wormtail. Weasley is choosing to have a tea party with Hermione to welcome her back to life." Malfoy turned back to Bellatrix. "Fact is, if Granger gives Weasley an order, he obeys it, no questions asked. It doesn't seem to matter what context her command is in. If she says it, he does it."

The three of them stopped talking to think about this phenomenon. The short pause was ended when Malfoy asked, "So, what are we going to do about this?"

"What are we going to do about this? What is there you want to do about this, Malfoy?" Bellatrix hissed. "Why does this concern us?"

"Because," Lucius replied slowly, as to try to make her understand, "we need to know how she came back to life. What if we can do the same thing for the Dark Lord? What if we can bring him back to life as well?"

Wormtail looked down at his shiny, and recently polished, silver hand. Hadn't he done enough to bring back the Dark Lord?

"Lucius, what about that tea party idea?"

"Wormtail, you idiot, I told you the tea party idea because you were not following what I was saying! There is no tea-party happening! Now help us think of ideas for what to do!"

"No, Lucius! I meant, what if we use the tea party idea to get Hermione to talk?"

"He, for once, might have an idea," Bellatrix pondered.

"Fine! Explain more, Pettigrew!" Lucius boomed. Wormtail hastily explained his plan for several minutes, with Lucius and Bellatrix completely silent.

Bellatrix was the first to speak when Wormtail finished talking. "You know, I think that might just work."

"It probably would."

---

"Hermione! I'm home!" Ron shouted after Apparating home. He had been at _Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes_ for the afternoon, asking, begging, and finally convincing the twin's to hire him. For the first time since Hermione died, he was completely happy. She was alive, he had a job (finally), and things only had to get better.

Hermione walked into the kitchen, and plainly said, "Hello, Ron."

"They said yes, Hermione! I start work there tomorrow!"

"Oh…that's great, Ron! Where are you going to be working, again?"

"At the joke shop! The twins hired me today, saying it was about time I got my act together!"

Hermione smiled, though it was a strained smile. "That's great! A job at the joke shop! I knew you would get the job!"

"Now, you sit down, and wait for dinner. I'm going to cook, and it will be romantic!"

"Umm, that's nice. I'll just go upstairs and…get changed, then." Hermione turned to leave before Ron grabbed her.

"No, you just sit here. You look perfect," Ron said sincerely before returning to his boiling water. Astonished, Hermione sat down at the table, facing Ron, whose back was facing her.

Finally, a full thirty minutes later, Ron presented his cooking: spaghetti in a cream sauce, complete with Muggle wine. Grabbing candles, he tried to light them with ordinary matches, failed, cursed a few times, and then lit them with his wand before dimming the lights.

"Wow, Ron. I never knew you could cook food like this!" Hermione exclaimed, though she seemed to be very tense.

"I didn't either, it took me three tries to get this right," Ron laughed.

Ron began to eat, but Hermione still did not touch the pasta. "So, since we are in the romantic mood and all, tell me the story of when you brought me back to life."

"Well, Harry had been reading through your books, and he came across a spell to bring your true love back to life, but it had quite a few consequences…" Ron started. In the next ten minutes he told the rest of the story. "And," finished Ron, "I haven't regretted it at all, though that karaoke thing was a bit embarrassing." Ron looked at Hermione again, who was looking a bit strange. "Um, Hermione, are you okay? Your hair is starting to turn black."

"Oh! Umm, I'll be right back. I need to…I'll just be right back, okay?" Hermione replied before getting up from the table. Ron noticed her voice was a little lower than usual.

Hermione disappeared into the room before Ron realized something weird was going on. He followed Hermione into their room.

---

"That boy almost caught me!" Bellatrix cried to Wormtail and Lucius. "Why do I always have to do these assignments?"

"Because you are the best person for them, that's why," Lucius replied, handing her a goblet of the Polyjuice Potion. Bellatrix grabbed it from him and walked over to the other side of the room, where the real Hermione was tied up and gagged. Bellatrix pulled three hairs from her, placed one in her drink, and gave one each to Wormtail and Lucius, who now had goblets of the Polyjuice Potion for themselves. They all drank at the same time, turning into three Hermiones.

(**A.N.** I will now refer to the four Hermiones as Hermione 1, Hermione 2, Hermione 3, and Hermione 4. If that clears things up a little bit.)

Hermione 2 walked over to Hermione 4 to untie her, and pulled her up to a standing position as Ron walked into the room.

"What the- Hermione?" asked a bewildered Ron.

"Ron! They are not the real me! I am Hermione!" Hermione 4 babbled, rushing over to Ron. Halfway over, though, she was tripped by Hermione 1.

"Don't you dare, poser! I'm the real Hermione!" Hermione 1said, walking over to Ron to grab his hand.

"Who are you calling 'poser'?" Hermione 3 asked, slapping Hermione 1 away from Ron before pulling him into a giant hug.

Hermione 2 stood back, watching this entire thing take place.

Hermione 1 yelled over the commotion, "Ron, don't listen to them! Believe that I am the real Hermione!"

Ron looked over at this Hermione and scowled. "No," he said lowly. "You are not. I can still what the others are saying. I wouldn't be able to if you were the real Hermione."

Hermione 4 heard this, and quickly thought of how to get Ron to believe her. "Ron! Walk over to the Hermione saying this!"

Ron looked around, not knowing consciously which Hermione said the order. Sighing, he closed his eyes, and let his feet and legs walk him over to the right Hermione. When they stopped, he opened his eyes to see the Hermione that was still on the floor from when she tripped. He helped her up before turning to the other three fake-Hermiones. "I don't know who you are, but leave. Now."

The three Hermiones looked at each other before Disapparating.

"Oh, Ron, I was so scared you weren't going to figure out what was happening or who was the real me," Hermione said before pulling Ron into a close hug, laying her head on his chest. Caught a little off guard, he returned the hug two seconds later.

"And now I don't want you to let go. I don't want to risk losing you again," Hermione sobbed.

_That's okay, Hermione,_ Ron thought. _I don't want to let go either._

---

Yay! More lovey-dovey stuff to come, I promise. And again, I am so sorry about not updating for over a month as FFF (my friend who kept bugging me) reminded me. I hope people still want to read it after such a long break, and I'll try to update it a little more often than once a month. Of course, this month I have Thanksgiving Break…so I'll probably have a couple extra days to write.

Please review! Especially if you want me to update more often!


	7. Some Enchanted Evening

Time for another update, I think.

Disclaimer: Without the genius mind of J.K. Rowling, I would not have these characters to write this fanfiction with. I claim no credit to the characters. Also, the title of this chapter is the name of a song from the musical South Pacific. Anything you do not recognize I created, please do not take it without my knowledge.

WARNING: At the end of the chapter, this story had mature content. The rest of the story will continue to be K+ or T, but the one part will be M. If you don't want to read it, it will not play a major role in the rest of the story (there won't be the consequences, etc), so don't worry about missing any of the plot. The chapter will be the regular length without the last scene; it will just be a little more romance.

Chapter 7: Some Enchanted Evening

For the first time since Hogwarts, Ron woke up before the alarm clock went off. It was his first day at the joke shop, and Hermione promised to stop by at the end of his shift. Hopefully, they would have time to go visiting houses to buy. After the incident with the Death Eaters, they had to go look for a new house so they wouldn't find them again. Afterwards (or right after work, if his shift ended too late), they were going to go out for a romantic dinner, and then stargazing. The stargazing part had been Hermione's request, but he was not ordered. He just wanted as much time as possible with Hermione, so he agreed. Yes, it was going to be the first perfect days in years.

Too bad it wasn't going to start for a few more hours. His shift started at nine; it was currently four in the morning.

_Well, darn,_ Ron thought. He turned over to face Hermione, and his anger at the morning (or lack thereof) melted away. Her brown, messy hair was scattered on the pillow, but some fell elegantly across her face. Her deep, even breathing made her look peaceful, content. Ron had the urge to pull the hair off her face and kiss the sleeping beauty on the lips, forehead, anywhere on her face. He resisted, remembering how lightly she slept. He didn't want to see those beautiful brown eyes scared or startled at four o'clock in the morning. Instead, he settled with watching her breathe, her chest rising and falling, rising and falling, until he fell back asleep.

Not much longer (though long enough for him to fall asleep), he heard Hermione mumbling in her sleep.

"Ron…"

Ron froze, almost worried about what she would say. She had no control over what she said in the middle of the night.

"Kiss…me…"

Trying his hardest to hold back, his face leaned towards hers and he lightly kissed her full on the lips. As he pulled back, those gorgeous brown eyes opened to meet his bright blue ones.

"**AAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**"

So much for her not being her startled because of him so early in the morning.

---

"Ron, I'm sorry about this morning's little outburst."

Ron looked up from the breakfast table. Hermione was looking down on him.

"You had no control over it, Hermione," Ron replied before standing up. He grabbed his wand from the table, and then walked over to her. "I have to go now, honey. I'll talk to you this afternoon," Ron said, kissing Hermione. He looked into her brown eyes again before Disapparating to Diagon Alley.

The day at work was not too bad. Sure the twins were "showing" him their newest merchandise by using them on him. He ended up sneezing for fifteen minutes before Fred would give him the antidote to "Nosey chews", chewy candies similar to their old "Ton-Tongue Toffees". Usually, he would have been upset with all the pranks they played on him, but he was glad they gave him the job, and he had the afternoon and evening to look forward to. Instead, he grabbed two cans of Muggle Silly String that were in the shop, and sprayed Fred and George with them. It cost him four Knuts off his paycheck, but it was well worth it.

About four in the afternoon, Hermione Apparated into the storage room in the back of the store to meet Ron. George was in the room, grabbing more fake wands to put out on display. The –POP- noise startled him, as nobody generally Apparated in there.

"Hermione! How are you?" he greeted her after getting over his shock. Although Ron had told him and Fred about Hermione's return, he hadn't seen her since Bill and Fleur's wedding the summer before her seventh year. He walked over to her and gave her a bone-crushing hug.

"Oi! George! What's taking you so long with the wands…Hermione!" Like his brother, Fred hadn't seen her in a while, so he walked over and gave her a slightly gentler hug.

"We'll go get Ron for you," George told Hermione, and grabbed the wands. They rushed out of the room, leaving Hermione with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Ron, we have to talk to you," Fred started.

"Now. In the storage room," George finished.

"Guys, can't this wait until tomorrow? Hermione is going to be coming soon, and we're supposed to be going out to dinner."

The twins exchanged glances. "Yes, Ron, you have to come now," Fred replied.

"Or would you rather not have a job? Now, come on!" George continued.

Sighing, Ron followed the twins, with their identical smirks on their faces, into the back room. There, Ron saw Hermione, browsing through the packages of "Fairy Dust", powder that was not unlike glitter in appearances that made the person sprinkled with it levitate for thirty seconds.

"Oh, hello Ron," she greeted him, as though she spent time in a storage room every day.

"Ron, Hermione, we were thinking…" Fred stated.

"Actually, we thought of it about thirty seconds ago," George corrected.

Fred nodded. "The four of us should go out to dinner tonight."

"Fred, George, that's a great idea! We'll be glad to join you two tonight," Hermione exclaimed.

Ron looked at Hermione, the twins, and back to Hermione. What about all the plans they had for that night?

"Um, Hermione? What about _our_ dinner?"

"Ron, don't worry. We can always go out to dinner together."

"Yeah, Ron. Besides, we haven't seen her in a few years, remember? You know, that whole 'being dead' thing kind of ruined our plans," George remarked.

"And you yourself haven't been very social in a while," Fred reminded Ron.

Ron looked back at Hermione. Her face was filled with hope…or was it excitement? _Why would she be excited to spend time with the twins?_ It couldn't be that. It must have been hope.

He sighed. Could he ever win against his brothers? "Okay. But you owe me, Hermione."

"Don't worry. I'll pay you back. I promise." A smirk, much like the one Draco Malfoy used to always wear during their school days, lingered on her face.

---

"…And then there are our Muggle-style items. We have things that are truly Muggle-created, like Silly String."

"But we modified some things. Like our Whoopsie Cushions. Instead of making their regular noise, they shout out the name of the person you like. Much more embarrassing."

"Surprisingly, our Muggle selection is doing much better than we thought it would."

"But then again, basically the only people buying these things are nuts like Dad."

Ron could not stand how _boring_ this dinner was turning out to be. Fred, George, and Hermione were discussing their new tricks and pranks. Hermione started by asking about the types of magic they used to make their products work. Then the twins went into their series of merchandise, like their sweets (Canary Creams, Nosey Chews, etc.) and their Muggle merchandise. And they had been going on and on for over an hour! Ron had ordered, eaten, and was ready to go, and they were _still_ talking!

Finally, after another half an hour of them talking, Ron and Hermione said good-bye to Fred and George.

"Wow, Ron. I knew they had been doing well, but they just went over and beyond what I imagined they would be able to do," Hermione told Ron.

"Yeah. Right," Ron mumbled, a little sarcastically. Hermione didn't get the hint.

"So, we were going to go star-gazing after dinner, weren't we?"

"Oh, yeah. So we are still going, then?" _Does this mean some of my day is still going to happen then? _He thought.

"And I know the perfect spot to go," Hermione smiled, pulling him along.

---

(A/N: This is where the mature content comes in, so if you don't want to read it, there's the end of the chapter. If you do want to read it, please continue.)

Hermione led him to a grassy hill, overlooking the city and very secluded. The stars were beginning to come out, but the sky was clear, with no clouds in sight. Ron gasped at the brilliance of the city lights, with some occasionally going on, and others going off. Hermione started setting up their area behind him. He turned around, and saw Hermione lighting the last of the candles surrounding a couple of blankets. She sat down on one of the blankets, pulled the other one over her body, and beckoned him over. He readily agreed.

"Do you really want to star gaze, Ron?" she asked him.

_What? You mean I came here just to find out she doesn't want to do this?_

"…Or would you rather be doing something else here?"

He looked over at Hermione with a bewildered look on his face. Was she suggesting what he thought she was suggesting? She leaned over slowly, gently kissing him. He responded, a little more forceful that she was. He felt her tongue lick his lips, begging to be allowed in his mouth. He obliged, and their tongues started to fight violently in their mouths. Hermione pulled back, but her hand started to caress his cheek. Not wanting it to end, he returned the favor by kissing her slowly down her neck. Reaching the neck of her shirt, he returned to her lips for more mouth-to-mouth action.

A shiver went up his spine when Hermione started unbuttoning his shirt. She continued to remove her own shirt. They both removed their own pants, leaving them naked between the blankets. A break came in their kissing, and the command Ron was waiting for escaped her lips.

"Ron…" it started, barely a whisper. "Enter me…"

And so he did. He heard he gasp, felt her body arch, and felt her fingernails dig into his shoulders. She relaxed her grip, though her hands didn't leave his body. The two of them began to relax a little, pulling apart slightly. Ron saw Hermione's bright brown eyes look into his. The two lips met again, softly and quickly, before Hermione laid her head on his chest. Within minutes, she had fallen asleep. Ron soon followed suit.

A small gust of wind, unknown to the sleepers, blew out the candles, and Ron and Hermione stayed there all night.

There you go! I finally updated, after a couple of weeks of writing this during math class and lunch period. Hope you enjoyed, and please review! Winter break is starting next week, so hopefully I will be able to update sometime soon, though I make now promises.


	8. Price of Love

I meant this chapter to get out in 2005, but a book report and partying kind of got in the way. So, here is the last chapter! Thanks for sticking with me, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and, as always, review!

Disclaimer: GUESS WHAT! I finally got J.K. Rowling to give me all rights to the Harry Potter characters, etc. GUESS WHAT ELSE! That last part was not true.

Chapter 8: Price of Love

Ron waited until Hermione left the room before pulling out the coins in his pocket. Four Galleons, 5 Sickles, and a Knut. The same amount as he had an hour ago. And he had been able to save up another twenty Galleons in the bank over the past year. He had now counted up his money twenty times in the past two days. Hopefully it would be enough.

He vaguely remembered telling Hermione he was going into work early before Apparating over to the Leaky Cauldron. He couldn't remember her response, but he figured she wouldn't be too upset at him leaving early…even if it was three hours earlier than usual.

She walked through Diagon Alley, not really seeing where he was going; only knowing his destination. _Cassandra's Jewelry Store-The Best Place in the Wizarding World for Jewelry_, to be exact. Tonight was going to be the night he proposed to Hermione. After about a year of going out during seventh year, and another half a year recently, he figured it was time to become man and wife. He just hoped Hermione agreed.

He walked inside the store, and quickly realized how out of place he felt inside. Almost everything in the showcases was diamond necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. These were things Ron was worried he would never be able to buy for Hermione.

Ron walked up to the nearest empty counter space, looking around to see if he could find the rings. A witch walked over to him, asking, "What are you looking for today, sir?"

"Well, I was hoping for a diamond ring for my girlfriend," Ron started to rush, "to propose to her, but I don't know if I have enough money for it…"

"That is not a problem here at Cassandra's. If you find a ring you like, we'll make sure that you can pay for it. Now, why don't I take you into our back room so you can look at all the rings we have to offer?" Ron smiled and looked down at the nametag the lady was wearing. Andrea.

"Umm…Sure, Andrea," he stuttered as she led him behind the counter.

Ron could not believe what he saw there. There were diamond rings, ruby rings, topaz rings, sapphire rings (four different colors), and gold and silver bands with no gem. The bands ranged from simple gold or silver with no engravings or designs, to bands that had intricate designs that seemed to be hand-woven. They were all shined and buffed, making them gleam behind the protective glass. Andrea calmly stood next to the door, a smile stuck to her face, as Ron walked around, browsing the selection.

_I don't want something too fancy,_ Ron considered, looking at a design that looked like a butterfly. _But nothing too simple, either_. Ron continued looking, and found one about twenty minutes later. A simple design, but Ron decided it worked well for their relationship. The band was gold, and it looked like two ropes were wound together on the bottom, separated on both of the sides, and join for one flat piece at the top. On the flat part was a small diamond, finishing off the ring, a ring that now seemed to glow.

"I'll take that one."

Andrea walked over from her post at the door. Ron pointed on the glass at the ring to show her. She pulled it out, asking, "Would you like me to put this in a jewelry box for you?"

"Sure. So, how much is this particular ring?" Ron asked, a little hesitantly.

"This one is thirty Galleons. But we can set up a payment plan, if you would prefer that method," she replied, still with a smile on her face.

They talked about payment options, and worked out a plan that would work with him. Grabbing his package, he thanked Andrea and left the store. Yes, he was going to be a little early for work, but it would help him get the extra money to help pay for the ring.

Heading to the shop, Ron started whistling. The pitch quickly dropped as he entered the store to find Hermione glaring at him,

"I thought you said you were coming in to work early." Her cold voice didn't sound at all like her own. It had no warmth in it, and her eyes mirrored the coldness.

"I…did…I mean…I…am…" he stuttered, looking for some way out of her gaze.

"Where you with another girl?"

"No…well, yes…but not in that way…"

"Tell me. Where you with another girl?" The ice in her eyes turned to fire.

"Yes. But she was helping me, she meant nothing to me…"

Hermione walked forward, so that she and Ron were face to face. "Helping you? With what?"

Ron slowly backed up, trying to relieve the tension between the two of them. "It would really be better to tell you someplace that we're alone."

"Oh no. Don't try to get out of this. Whatever you have to say, whatever you are going to say, you are going to say right here, in front of everyone else in the store. So, spit it out."

Ron took a deep breath, not letting the instinct to just say it because the curse told him to. He was going to do this on his own. He kneeled down and opened the bag, but he didn't take out the package.

"Hermione," he began, "When you died, I was devastated. Now that you are alive, you are my life and my joy. Even though I didn't know what was going to happen to me when I said the spell, if I had the chance to change my mind, I wouldn't. So now-" Ron pulled out the ring and box before continuing, "I have to ask this." The box slowly opened to reveal the ring to Hermione. "Hermione, will you marry me?"

Hermione took a few steps back in surprise. Everyone in the store (including Fred and George, embarrassingly enough) stopped what he or she was doing, and were waiting for Hermione to answer.

"Oh my gosh, Ron. Yes, I will!" Hermione pulled her now-fiancé up and into a hug, while almost everybody clapped for the happy couple.

Ron thought he saw a figure moving in the shadows of the store towards the back exit. But he wasn't going to worry about it, or them. Hermione had just said yes to his marriage proposal. What did he care about other people right now?

A year later, the wedding was set. All the details were planned out, the guests were invited, and Ron was getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. Of course, Hermione wanted to have some Muggle traditions upheld, so he was now trying to get into a nice suit for the dinner.

The door to Ron's dressing room creaked open, and Harry stuck his head in. "It's time, Ron."

"Okay," Ron replied. He took one last look at himself in the mirror, and then followed Harry out the door.

The run-through of the wedding passed without incident, and before Ron knew it, it was time to have dinner. Everything was going great, until a couple of Aurors came up to Ron and Hermione.

"Sir, Ma'am, we have found an uninvited guest. I think you two should come with us," one of the Aurors said, one with a bushy mustache. The other one, with a clean-shaven face, nodded. Hermione and Ron quickly glanced at each other before following them. A third Auror was waiting for them, holding none other than Lucius Malfoy.

"Malfoy! What are you doing here?" Ron was stunned. Why would Lucius be crashing their rehearsal dinner?

"Why else would I be here? I've been following you almost everywhere since that night at the Karaoke bar! I've been trying to figure out how you brought the Mudblood back to life! Because, one day, the Dark Lord will rise AGAIN!" Malfoy responded, a little insanely.

"You want to know how to bring back Voldemort? He had to _love_ somebody. You have to love somebody, and they need to sacrifice themselves for him. So, he isn't coming back," Hermione responded, even though Malfoy's comment wasn't directed towards her. She grabbed Ron's arm and led him back to the dinner, while the Aurors pulled Malfoy outside to send him to Azkaban.

Staring at the altar, Ron was starting to feel a little nervous. He didn't have cold feet, but it _was_ going to be a big change in his life. The guests were here, ready for the wedding. Dumbledore was to conduct the wedding, and Fred and Georges' two daughters (Sandy and Mandy, who could pass as twins if they had the same parents) were the flower girls. Even though they were married, Ginny was Hermione's Maid of Honor, and Harry was Ron's best man. The three men were up on the altar, as the wedding was to start in only a couple of minutes.

The choir started to sing, and the procession down the aisle began. And as Hermione started to walk down that aisle, only one thing was going through Ron's mind:

_Welcome to our new life, Hermione._

Fin.

Yay! The story is complete! Yay for Ron and Hermione! Thanks to everyone that has read, and especially those that reviewed, and to FFF for staying on my back to get this story finished. And, as I said before, please review! Tell me what you thought of the entire story, or of specific chapters.

And, for now, the curtain is closed.


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